20020830022259A

(.19) ON AUGUST 30, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1330 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR 401 AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE, N9193Y, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED AN OIL PUMP JACK WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR HEARNE, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY CORPORA AERIAL SERVICE, INC., OF HEARNE, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NEAR HEARNE AT 1310. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE COMPANY OWNER AND A WITNESS REPORTED THE PILOT WAS SPRAYING A COTTON FIELD FROM EAST TO WEST, HAVING STARTING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE FIELD WORKING TO THE NORTH. AS THE PILOT MADE A SPRAY PASS IN LINE WITH AN OIL RIG STRUCTURE POSITIONED IN THE FIELD, WHICH HE REPORTED WAS NOT MOVING THE LAST TIME HE LOOKED AT IT, HE PULLED UP TO GO OVER THE RIG WHEN THE PUMP JACK BEGAN TO MOVE UPWARD. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE PUMP JACK WITH ITS LEFT WING, IMPACTED TERRAIN AND CART WHEELED. THE TAIL SECTION AND ENGINE SEPARATED, WITH THE AIRPLANE COMINGTO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION. (-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 13:40 HOURS CST, WHILE PERFORMING AERIAL APPLICATION OF DEFOLIATION CHEMICALS FOR CORPORA AERIAL SERVICE, INC., CERTIFICATE NUMBER MSUG571G, AIRCRAFT N9193Y STRUCK AN OIL PUMPING RIG. AIRCRAFT N9193Y IS AN AIR TRACTOR MODEL 401, SERIAL NUMBER 0932 AND WAS OPERATING AS A 14 CFR, PART 137 FLIGHT. THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT, BRUCE E. TURNER, CERTIFICATE NUMBER 461275248, ESCAPED WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE OIL PUMPING RIGS ARE VERY PREVALENT IN THIS AREA AND THE HORSE HEAD, (PORTION OF THE PUMP THAT RISES AND LOWERS), CAN RISE APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET HIGHER WHEN PUMPING THAN WHEN NOT. THIS PARTICULAR PUMPING UNIT WAS ON A TIMER AND WOULD SHUT OFF PERIODICALLY ACCORDING TO OIL COMPANY PERSONNEL ON SITE. APPARENTLY, IT WAS NOT A KNOWN FACT AMONG THE PILOTS ON THIS CERTIFICATE THAT THESE PUMPS WOULD TURN OFF AND ON AUTOMATICALLY. WHILE SPRAYING FROM A NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST DIRECTION, AIRCRAFT N9193Y STRUCK THE TOP OF THE HORSE HEAD ON ONE OF THESE OIL PUMPING RIGS. THIS STRIKE WAS WITH THE LEFT WING APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET INBOARD FROM THE WING TIP. THIS SEVERE D THAT PORTION OF THE WING AND THE COMPLETE AILERON ASSEMBLY. THE PORTIONS OF THE WING THAT WERE SEPARATED CARRIED FORWARD IN THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT FOR APPROXIMATELY 120 FEET. THE PILOT STATED "THE AIRCRAFT WANTED TO GO INVERTED BUT I THOUGHT IF I KEPT MY POWER UP I MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE LANDING STRIP. WHEN I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE I PULLED THE POWER BACK AND LET THE AIRCRAFT SETTLE IN." STILL MAINTAINING THE SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION OF FLIGHT,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ 142 FEET PAST THE INITIAL GROUND CONTACT WERE PIECES OF WING NOSE RIBS AND WING SKIN. 9 FEET PAST THIS WAS A STRONG IMPACT ZONE OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR, THIS CONTACT BROKE EVERYTHING AWAY FROM THE GEAR (WHEEL, BRAKES, ETC) EXCEPT THE GEAR LEG ITSELF. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ 108 FEET LATER, IN MORE OF A DUE SOUTH HEADING, THE TAIL WHEEL IMPACTED THE GROU ND. THIS SEVERED THE TAIL WHEEL AND STRUT ASSEMBLY AND EVENTUALLY THE COMPLETE TAIL ASSEMBLY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE IMPACT OF THE ENGINE SEVERED THE ENGINE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE ENGINE INDUCTION TUBES AND THE ENGINE CARBURETOR IN THIS IMPACT ZONE. THE ENGINE ROLLED ANOTHER 55 FEET. THE IMPACT OF THE ENGINE BLED OFF MOST OF THE ENERGY FORCES THAT WERE LEFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A POSITION RELATIVE TO THE INITIAL DIRECTION OF FLIGHT.